SUMMARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ECOAGRICULTURE CONFERENCE & PRACTITIONERS’ FAIR:

27 SEPTEMBER – 1 OCTOBER 2004

The International Ecoagriculture Conference and
Practitioners’ Fair convened from 27 September to 1 October 2004 at the
World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.The meeting brought
together over 200 of the world's leading innovators in ecoagriculture,
representing diverse sectors including: community leaders, farmers,
conservationists, policymakers, researchers, technical advisors,
land-use planners, and the private sector. The purpose of the Conference
was to assess the state of ecoagriculture systems and practices, and to
develop a strategy to promote and support ecoagricultural development
around the world. The Conference was organized by Ecoagriculture
Partners.

During the Conference, participants reviewed diverse
examples of practices along with evidence of the social, cultural,
economic, environmental, institutional, technical, geographic and
political characteristics of successful ecoagriculture initiatives.
Participants shared experiences, gained knowledge, built new
partnerships, broadened awareness of the potentials of ecoagriculture,
and elaborated a number of specific recommendations for action to
further the concepts and tools needed to implement ecoagriculture.

The Conference was organized in plenary sessions and
group discussions focusing on four key themes: understanding
ecoagriculture; managing ecoagriculture; valuing ecoagriculture; and
mobilizing community ecoagriculture. The latter Theme Group was commonly
referred to as the “Community Shamba.” Other activities included the
development of the Nairobi Declaration on Ecoagriculture, Farming
System Focus Groups, and Field Trips.

This report provides a summary of the Conference,
including the presentations and the outcomes of the plenary, Farming
Focus Groups and Theme Groups, as well as a brief description of the
Field Trips. The report also summarizes the Conference outcomes, namely
the future actions identified in the four Theme Groups and the
Nairobi Declaration on Ecoagriculture.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ECOAGRICULTURE AND
ECOAGRICULTURE PARTNERS

Global demand for food and fiber is expected to grow
by at least 50 percent in the next few decades. In many cases, the need
to increase food, forest and fisheries production and sustain rural
livelihoods increasingly conflicts with the equally important need to
protect biodiversity and ecosystems services upon which both human and
wildlife depend. Over half of the most species-rich areas contain large
human populations who depend on farming, forestry, herding or fisheries
for their livelihoods. In such places, a new land-use approach, often
referred to as ecoagriculture, is needed to integrate food production
with the provision of ecosystem functions at the landscape scale.

Ecoagriculture refers to sustainable agriculture and
associated natural resource management systems that embrace and
simultaneously enhance productivity, rural livelihoods, ecosystem
services and biodiversity. Ecoagriculture includes a wide range of
systems and practices that integrate productivity goals with the
provision of ecosystem services.

Ecoagriculture Partners: Ecoagriculture Partners was formally established as a
“Type II outcome” or non-negotiated partnership between governments,
business and civil society aimed at implementing Agenda 21, and was
announced during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
Ecoagriculture Partners is a network of worldwide ecoagriculture
innovators and serves as an umbrella organization with actors from
conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs), agricultural NGOs,
international research organizations, farmers’ organizations,
universities, private sector companies, intergovernmental organizations,
and public agencies. Ecoagriculture Partners seeks to transform rural
landscapes where both agricultural production and natural biodiversity
are highly valued to ecoagriculture. Ecoagriculture Partners is jointly
sponsored by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Forest Trends, and the
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

REPORT OF THE MEETING

PLENARY

ECOAGRICULTURE: INNOVATION ON THE GROUND: On Monday morning, 27 September, Sara Scherr,
Director of Ecoagriculture Partners, welcomed participants and
introduced the speakers for the opening plenary. Noting that nearly half
the areas currently protected for biodiversity are heavily used for
agriculture, Dennis Garrity, Director-General, ICRAF, stressed the need
to challenge the “old” model of segregating agriculture and landscape
protection. He mentioned some of the challenges for ecoagriculture,
including: determining the technologies and resource management systems
that generate the necessary synergies; designing and managing landscapes
at the necessary scale; re-shaping incentives for farmers, rural
businesses and financial groups; and mobilizing communities to pursue
ecoagriculture successfully and at a globally meaningful scale.

Gratien Andres Frezac Coloneth, Talamanca Initiative
Costa Rica (Panama), presented a case study on sustaining productive
agroforests in the Mesoamerican biological corridor of Panama and Costa
Rica. He described the structure of the binational farming alliance
working in this World Heritage Site and explained how traditional
organic production methods preserve the ecological system. He warned
that the drop in the price of organically certified products threatens
the agroecological system of production.

Rajendra Singh, President, Tarun Bharat Sangh
(India), presented a case study on community water harvesting in the
Arvari river basin, Rajasthan province. Highlighting the relationship
between people and the earth, he defined ecoagriculture as a process of
“giving back to nature as much as farmers and communities take from it.”
He said ecoagriculture should not be seen as a productive industry but
as a practice that is a crucial part of peoples’ cultures. He
underscored the importance of peoples’ participation in water management
through the establishment of water parliaments; stressed the maximum use
of traditional technology, wisdom and practices; and urged the
involvement of women in decision-making.

Francis Chachu Ganya, President, Pastoralist
Integrated Support Programme (Kenya), highlighted the role of
pastoralists as protectors of biodiversity. He underscored the central
role of pastoralism and the use of mixed livestock species as measures
for sustainable resource utilization and protection in dryland
environments. He stressed that pastoralism is a dynamic and viable form
of ecoagriculture.

Sara Scherr explained that Ecoagriculture Partners is
a public-private partnership created during the WSSD with the mission to
mainstream ecoagriculture. She listed the Conference objectives, namely
to: promote knowledge-sharing; advance understanding of ecoagriculture
principles and strategies; enable participants to identify and pursue
actions and collaborative partnerships; develop the foundation for a
strategic plan of action for Ecoagriculture Partners; and produce the
Nairobi Declaration on Ecoagriculture.

ECOAGRICULTURE INNOVATIONS-CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD:
This plenary session took place on Monday
afternoon, 27 September, and was moderated by Dorota Metera, IUCN.
Mohamed Bakarr, ICRAF, introduced the draft Nairobi Declarationon Ecoagriculture. He said the Declaration aims to capture the
“essence of the Conference” and share this understanding with the
international community.

Gladman Chibememe, Chibememe Earth Healing
Association (Zimbabwe), presented the outcomes of the two-day Community
Shamba preparatory meeting of local and indigenous communities, held
from 25-26 September 2004. He explained that the Community Shamba was
created to discuss perspectives and innovations regarding: the success
of local involvement in ecoagriculture; sharing knowledge, experiences,
innovations and practices; and informing and influencing policy. Over 60
community ecoagriculture innovators from 24 countries participated in
the Community Shamba, with discussions focusing on: key values and
principles of ecoagriculture; actionable activities for capacity
building; and measures to create an enabling environment for
community-level ecoagriculture. On the values and principles of
ecoagriculture, he said participants to the Shamba agreed that these
must: appreciate and integrate local and indigenous knowledge systems
and technical skills; address the need to recover and conserve
biodiversity; recover and promote endemic species; contribute to family
food security and seed diversity and sovereignty; and strengthen the
social and cultural fabric of local communities. On actionable
activities for capacity building, he said participants highlighted the
need for exchanging good practice, creating networks of communities, and
strengthening local institutions. On creating an enabling environment,
Chibememe said participants proposed that ecoagriculture practices:
build on existing community initiatives, including strengthening
existing institutions and taking advantage of the inherent internal
strengths of communities; create incentives for communities; promote
win-win solutions for the environment and communities; ensure the
participation of women and indigenous peoples organizations in
ecoagriculture; and promote participatory practices, networking,
partnerships and collaboration.

Bernward Geier, International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), reported on the third IFOAM meeting on
Biodiversity and Organic Agriculture, held in Nairobi from 24-26
September 2004. He said participants agreed that organic agriculture and
agroecology are synonymous, and that such practices do not use chemical
pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified organisms. He stressed
the need to form partnerships with local conservation and consumer
groups, promote organic agriculture as a tool for biodiversity
conservation and food security, and include organic farming in national
biodiversity plans.

In a discussion period, participants addressed the:
high prices and premiums placed on organic products; protection of
organic agriculture from the current system of agriculture; need to
protect small-scale and mountain farmers, as well as indigenous products
from the current market forces driven by large scale agricultural
producers; and need to create a bridge from “agriculture to dining
culture.”

ECOAGRICULTURE – STATE OF THE ART:
This session took place on Tuesday morning, 28 September, and was
moderated by Dennis Garrity.

Louise Buck and Thomas Gavin, Department of Natural
Resources, Cornell University, presented the outcomes of an assessment
on the state of international research on ecoagriculture. Buck said the
research was based on three core concepts underpinning ecoagriculture,
namely: agriculture productivity; economics and rural livelihood; and
wild biodiversity. Gavin said the research outcomes included the
recognition that: visions for ecoagriculture have scientific
foundations; claims about the benefits of ecoagriculture have scientific
merits, but the trade-offs are not always transparent; and long-term
research at a landscape scale is needed.

Sandeep Sengupta, IUCN, outlined the role of forest
landscape restoration (FLR) as an approach for developing integrated
land-use and landscape management systems that supports human needs and
biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. He said FLR emerged in response
to the failure of conventional planning models and stressed that it
emphasizes a people-centered, landscape scale approach to
decision-making and management.

Minu Hemmati, The SEED Initiative, explained that the
Initiative provides tailor-made support to locally-driven partnerships
on sustainable development. She stressed the importance of involving all
stakeholders based on democratic principles for successful partnerships.
She listed the advantages of partnerships, including quality,
credibility and likelihood of implementation. Hemmati explained the
social psychology of partnerships, noting that clear principles and
shared ownership and knowledge build trust and strong relationships.

In response to the presentation from Buck and Gavin,
a participant highlighted the need to address the benefits of
ecoagriculture for agricultural productivity, while another underscored
the important role of ecoagriculture in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). One participant stressed the importance of
prioritizing and identifying biodiversity-related elements that need to
be protected in agricultural systems. In response to Sengupta’s
presentation, one participant underscored the need to respect the
knowledge and practices of local people. Another participant stressed
the importance of adaptive management and underscored that forest
restoration be included under the ecoagriculture umbrella. In response
to the presentation from Hemmati, participants highlighted the need to
develop a learning alliance to share knowledge and reach out to policy
makers, address the costs of information sharing, and consult
stakeholders to prioritize knowledge sharing.

MOBILIZING ACTION FOR ECOAGRICULTURE:
This policy forum took place on Friday afternoon, 1 October, and was
moderated by Mohamed Bakarr. On the accomplishments of the Conference,
Haward-Yana Shapiro, Mars Incorporated, with Esther Mwaura-Muiru, GROOTS-Kenya,
underscored the successful integration of community voices and the
sharing of experiences.

On the role of conservation in poverty reduction,
Helen Gichohi, African Wildlife Foundation, noted the increasing meeting
of minds between the conservation and the agricultural sectors, and
Shapiro stressed that ecoagriculture is a platform for achieving the
MDGs.

On the incentives for ecoagriculture, Gichohi and
Jack Wilkinson, International Federation of Agricultural Producers,
urged looking at all sources of income and not focusing solely on
poverty reduction. Wilkinson further suggested setting up an “auction
system” to encourage organic farming.

On policy issues, Shapiro argued that a policy change
can be created from “the ground up” and Wilkinson agreed that there is
an opportunity for a change in policy and called for increased lobbying.
David Smith, UNEP, noted that in most developing countries a bottom-up
policy change is unrealistic and called for eliminating agricultural
subsidies and mainstreaming ecoagriculture products. Mwaura-Muiru
underscored the importance of recognizing and scaling-up existing
community knowledge. Gichohi called for an integrated policy and
underscored the key role of land-use planning.

On the role of governments, Wilkinson said they need
to be part of the policy change, while Smith underlined the need for
comprehensive national strategies on ecoagriculture backed by regional
processes. Smith also warned against the risk of developed countries
using ecoagriculture as a trade barrier.

FARMING FOCUS GROUPS

On Monday, 27 September, ten Farming Focus Groups met
in parallel to discuss innovations contributing to ecoagriculture and
identify critical actions for the way forward.

The group on water systems management identified the
following critical issues: ensuring diversity in agricultural systems;
sustaining the ecological condition of the natural resource base;
ensuring technological improvements, including promoting “more crop per
drop;” developing appropriate cost effective technologies; creating
incentives for water productivity; maximizing market opportunities for
people and the environment; minimizing the negative externalities of
market systems; and creating systems for water allocation among
environmental, social and agricultural demands.

The group on temperate cropping systems identified
the following critical issues: supporting policies that include
ecosystem values; identifying viable ecosystems for temperate zones;
transferring knowledge and management strategies for ecoagricultural
systems; building consumer support and raising awareness for
ecoagriculture friendly products and influencing consumer patterns; and
proactively promoting ecoagriculture in “new agriculture frontiers.”

The group on humid/sub-humid tropical cropping
systems identified the following critical issues: building a database of
ecoagriculture initiatives; scaling-up ecoagriculture; protecting
traditional methods with patents and intellectual property rights;
preventing loss of traditional knowledge; defining ecoagriculture; and
identifying mechanisms to achieve ecoagriculture.

The group on dryland tropical cropping systems
identified the following critical issues: increasing farmers’ control
over their seeds; raising awareness of all stakeholders on the synergies
between agricultural production and the environment; linking culture and
agriculture; creating linkages and synergies between agriculture and
natural resource management; implementing legislation to support a shift
to ecoagriculture; making ecoagriculture rewarding and advantageous;
increasing incomes and market profitability; adding value to local
resources and products; increasing productivity by using alternative
methods; and defining ecoagriculture.

The group on pastoral and ranching systems identified
the following critical issues: establishing a strategic plan and setting
objectives by synthesizing knowledge and establishing long-term
objectives; raising awareness at all levels; improving regulations and
institutions to support community management; creating incentives for
pastoralists to adopt ecoagriculture friendly practices; and ensuring
accountability, better monitoring and enforcement.

The group on intensive dairy and meat production
systems identified the following critical issues: measuring the
landscape impact of ecoagriculture practices; raising awareness on the
connection between policy and practice; creating incentives for
environmental practices; adopting a global policy perspective for
ecoagriculture; and raising awareness of environmental concerns related
to increased demand for livestock products.

The group on agriculture and fisheries identified the
following critical issues: including aquatic biodiversity, aquaculture
and fisheries in ecoagriculture practices; highlighting the role of
water in agriculture beyond irrigation; reviewing water management
planning and investment to assess their impacts on aquatic biodiversity
and fisheries-dependent communities; researching sustainable
aquaculture; and securing the livelihoods of fisherfolk and other
communities dependent on aquatic biodiversity.

The group on perennial crop systems, agroforests and
homegardens identified the following critical issues: developing
research and development priorities for ecoagriculture; verifying the
scientific basis of ecoagriculture’s contribution to the economy,
society and the environment; developing more sustainable and profitable
land-use systems; mainstreaming biodiversity conservation; promoting
education, training and participatory approaches on best agricultural
practices; increasing awareness of ecoagriculture across all sectors;
and promoting institutions and policies to encourage the adoption of
ecoagriculture principles and practices.

The group on mountain agroecosystems identified the
following critical issues: defining ecoagriculture; bridging the gap
between theory and practice; filling the gaps in ecoagriculture
practices; capitalizing on small farm ecoagriculture; balancing economic
and conservation goals; creating incentives for the diversification of
crops; changing consumers’ behavior; and empowering mountain
communities.

The group on forest landscape mosaics identified the
following critical issues: addressing the bias of science-based
agricultural systems; ensuring a landscape level perspective with
community participation; strengthening institutional arrangements at the
community level; reflecting community interests in policies and
programmes; addressing weak incentive systems and inappropriate land
tenure policies; establishing feasible markets for ecosystem services;
limiting the impact of trade liberalization and globalization on
smallholder products; and reducing the cost of certification for
small-scale farmers.

THEME GROUPS

Throughout the day on Tuesday, 28 September, and
Thursday, 30 September, participants engaged in four parallel Theme
Group sessions. Sustainable Developments covered Themes 1 and 2
and based its report of Theme 4 on information provided by a
representative from the UN Development Programme. On Friday morning, 1
October, the outcomes of the Theme Groups were reported back to the
plenary. These reports are recorded under the “Conference Outcomes”
heading.

THEME GROUP 1: UNDERSTANDING ECOAGRICULTURE: This Theme Group was co-chaired by Louise Buck
and Jeffrey McNeely, IUCN, and was facilitated by Aderojuo Odunsi
(Nigeria). The purpose of the Theme Group was to assess the current
understanding of biological and ecological interactions, as well as
conflicts and synergies of jointly managing landscapes for agricultural
productivity, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Participants assessed
the knowledge base for ecoagriculture-from science, local innovation,
and technology-and identified barriers, gaps and opportunities for
developing improved ecoagriculture systems, as well as policy
implications for agricultural and conservation research. They also
addressed how to overcome information barriers to ensure that
ecoagriculture research reaches and benefits farmers.

Biodiversity components in agricultural land use
systems:Kwesi Atta-Krah,
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, presented on managing
genetic diversity in agroecosystems. Recalling that agriculture and wild
biodiversity conservation are not mutually exclusive, he outlined the
advantages of sustainably using genetic diversity in agriculture. He
underscored the link between agrobiodiversity and biodiversity, and
stated that protecting agricultural biodiversity is an “insurance policy
against the loss of production.” He called for: mainstreaming
agrobiodiversity; considering the effects of agricultural practices on
wild biodiversity; developing landscape management methods that optimize
diversity; and negotiating global ecoagriculture partnership projects.

Dino Martins, African Pollinator Initiative and
Environmental Liaison Centre International, presented on the role of
pollinators in preventing losses and promoting resilience. Noting that a
third of all food production is dependant on animal pollinators, he said
that pollinators are under various threats. He explained that
pollinators affect seed and fruit yields and quality, noted that
pollination systems are linked to biodiversity, and called for academic
investment in the taxonomy of pollinators and training of taxonomists.
He listed challenges faced, including: lack of awareness of pollinator
conservation, inadequate legislation and law enforcement; and
insufficient knowledge on managing pollinators.

Roger Leakey, James Cook University, presented on
domesticating tree crops and marketing novel crops for ecoagriculture.
He explained the process of domestication and mentioned some of its
objectives, including to: support the livelihood of farmers in relation
to the MDGs; improve environmental, social and economical outputs; and
diversify farming systems. He said the challenge was defining the role
of agroforestry in biodiversity conservation and providing livelihoods
while decreasing environmental degradation.

Lee de Haan, The Land Institute, addressed the
development of perennial grains for ecoagricultural systems. He
described the disadvantages of annual crops and said perennial grain
breeding programmes provide a better alternative. He listed the
obstacles to perennial grain breeding, including the time it requires
and the opposition from annual grain stakeholders. He called for:
reviving the International Rice Research Institute’s perennial rice
programme; exploring the possible use of perennial grains in the
tropics; and initiating perennial grain breeding programmes worldwide.

Enhancing biodiversity in agricultural land use
systems:Edmund Barrow, IUCN,
explained how pastoralism makes the best use of natural resources in
space and time, manages risk associated with drylands, enhances
resilience, and is compatible with wildlife. He warned against
ill-informed myths about pastoralism, including that it is archaic,
disruptive, results in land degradation, and makes little contribution
to the national economy. He noted the Global Environment Facility’s
(GEF) World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism and the contribution
of pastoralism to the MDGs and the WSSD goal of reducing biodiversity
loss by 2010.

Jan Sendzimir, International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis, presented on the potentials of polyculture and on
steering disturbances to promote diversity and resilience. He described
how inducing or steering natural disturbances such as fire, landslides
or floods can be an “engine of biodiversity” and called for
ecoagriculture to seek new alliances with natural disaster experts in
order to protect biodiversity.

Hans Herren, International Centre for Integrated Pest
Ecology, presented on how agricultural pest management can enhance
ecosystem sustainability. He explained how recognizing the drawbacks of
increased yields obtained with chemical fertilizers and pesticides have
lead to “rediscovering” natural control methods. Herren described how
the extension of traditional resource management as well as adaptive
management systems can achieve ecosystem sustainability enhancement and
address the MDGs.

Keith Jones, Croplife International, presented on the
plant science industry’s contribution to ecoagriculture. He said the
current challenge is increasing productivity and ensuring food security
and safety while conserving wild biodiversity. He explained that
integrated crop and pest management apply technologies and expertise in
ways that suit local conditions in order to optimize agricultural
production and enhance nature conservation and livelihoods. He
underscored the importance of the industry’s investments in research and
development and called for training farmers, negotiating
multistakeholder partnerships, and adopting a participatory approach.

Following the presentations, participants broke into
subgroups to discuss: agro/wild biodiversity conservation and
enhancement in ecoagricultural landscapes; ecosystem services and
restoration in ecoagricultural landscapes; and cultural, institutional
and policy determinants in ecoagriculture innovations, adaptations and
impact.

THEME GROUP 2: MANAGING ECOAGRICULTURE: This Theme Group was co-chaired by Mohamed Bakarr and
Konrad von Ritter, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and was facilitated by
Thava Govendar (South Africa). The purpose of the Theme Group was to
assess lessons learned from managing landscapes to achieve productive
and profitable farms within land-use mosaics that achieve biodiversity
and ecosystem service objectives. Participants discussed ecosystem
design principles for agricultural landscapes; institutions that enable
collaboration and coordination among farmers, conservationists and
land-use planners; methods for monitoring and conducting impact
assessments at a landscape scale; and implications for land-use policy.

Integrated management at a landscape scale:
Tom Tomich, ICRAF, outlined the role of ecosystem services in landscape
mosaics in tropical forest margins. He highlighted one of the main
challenges as identifying innovative policies, institutions and
technologies that can reduce poverty without decreasing environmental
services. In outlining a future vision for landscape mosaics, he
underscored the need for: diverse landscapes with increased wild
species; tenure reform; access to resources and improved livelihoods;
and education and awareness.

David Molden, International Water Management
Institute, addressed the management of biodiversity in irrigated
landscapes. He stressed the importance of: ensuring water productivity,
including growing more food with less water; using low-cost technologies
to improve water productivity; maintaining habitat integrity; promoting
community awareness; and ensuring environmental flows. Among the
challenges, he identified the need to manage multiple water uses and
balance irrigation requirements with environmental needs.

Practice and implementation: Howard-Yana Shapiro addressed lessons learned in
implementing ecoagriculture in the cocoa sector. He identified four key
elements of functional biodiversity: diversity of vegetation; permanence
of various crops; intensity of management; and the extent of isolation
from natural vegetation. He stressed that ecoagriculture can serve as a
“springboard” for building sustainability, protecting biodiversity,
eliminating poverty, correcting ecosystem degradation and soil erosion,
and reversing declining livelihoods.

Götz Schroth, Center for International Forestry
Research, presented on the role of agroforestry in biodiversity
conservation in the tropics. The challenges he identified included:
maintaining and promoting biodiversity-friendly traditional agroforestry
practices against growing pressure to intensify production; preventing
farmers from using improved incomes to convert more land to forests; and
creating a conservation ethic and compensating farmers for not killing
wild species.

Mohamed Said, International Livestock Research
Institute, addressed the role of pastoralists as ecoagriculture
managers. He identified the linkages between biodiversity, ecosystem
process, and ecosystem goods and services, and outlined research
findings on the coexistence between people and livestock in East Africa.
The challenges he identified included linking ecological field studies
and regional and continental scale studies to develop an appropriate
policy framework, and developing policies to reverse negative trends and
enhance existing synergies between people and livestock.

Monitoring and impact evaluation: Tim Reed, TNC, addressed measures to manage
ecoagriculture and biodiversity at the landscape level with a focus on
audits undertaken by TNC on its agricultural projects. He said the
audits aimed to measure project impact, effectiveness and efficiency.
Among the results of the audits, he highlighted the benefits of working
directly with farmers, noted that farmers require incentives to provoke
and maintain changes, and stressed that projects demonstrating the value
of new techniques can lead to policy changes.

Aaron Dushku, Winrock International, highlighted
innovative tools for the quantification of ecoagriculture, focusing on
the use of multicriteria analyses, statistical sampling techniques for
project measurement and monitoring, and the spatial characteristics of
the landscape for habitat assessments.

Following the presentations, participants broke into
subgroups to address: designing and managing agricultural landscapes for
production and conservation; institutions for ecoagriculture planning
and coordination at the landscape scale; and methods and strategies for
monitoring ecoagriculture at a landscape scale.

THEME GROUP 3: VALUING ECOAGRICULTURE FOR LIVELIHOODS
AND BUSINESS: This Theme Group was chaired
by Josh Bishop, IUCN, and was facilitated by Rita Schweitz (USA). The
purpose of the Theme Group was to assess livelihood and financial
incentives for farmers, other land managers and investors in order to
develop and invest in ecoagriculture systems. Participants examined
evidence of livelihood benefits and economic profitability of existing
ecoagriculture systems relative to mainstream agricultural systems. They
also explored institutional changes in agribusiness and the food
industry; payments for ecosystem services that could shift incentives in
favor of ecoagriculture; and the implications for economic, business and
rural development policies.

Following the presentations, participants broke into
subgroups to address: measuring and monitoring progress towards
ecoagriculture; incentives for ecoagriculture-innovations in product
markets; and incentives for developing markets for ecosystem services.

THEME GROUP 4: MOBILIZING COMMUNITY ECOAGRICULTURE:
This Theme Group was co-chaired by Sean
Southey, Equator Initiative, and Robin Marsh, University of
California-Berkeley, and was facilitated by: Patrick Muraguri, African
21st Century Development Organization; Ester Mwaura-Muiru;
Donato Bumaca, Kalinga Mission for Indigenous Children and Youth
Development; and Gladman Chibememe. The purpose of the Theme Group was
to focus on community-level actions across ecosystems and farming
systems needed to develop, implement, manage and scale-up successful
ecoagriculture initiatives. Participants examined barriers and obstacles
to community development and ecoagriculture strategies for achieving
community action at a meaningful scale; and the implications for
community capacity-building, investment and policy. Discussions also
drew on the outcomes of the two-day Community Shamba preparatory meeting
held from 25-26 September.

Participants heard presentations from Farhad Mazhar,
Policy Research for Development Alternatives (Bangladesh), and
Peryapatan Satheesh, Deccan Development Society (India), that
demonstrated community understanding of ecoagriculture, highlighting
peer-to-peer learning initiatives and possibilities offered by
ecoagriculture initiatives for communities. The presentations
highlighted key areas where strategic partnerships between communities
and researchers, policymakers, and community-led business initiatives
are required.

Erick Fernandez, World Bank, and Walter Lusigi, GEF,
outlined the challenges in creating policy and institutional frameworks
to support community-led ecoagriculture. The presentations addressed
problems relating to land degradation, drylands, unsustainable resource
exploitation as well as social, policy and institutional challenges that
hinder investment in land and ecosystem restoration. During the
discussions participants examined the values and principles of community
engagement in ecoagriculture, including capacity development needs and
the types of interventions required to support local level action. On
Tuesday evening, 28 September, the Equator Initiative hosted a Community
Celebration to explore how ecoagriculture provides innovative solutions
to conserve biodiversity while helping eradicate poverty and enhance
social and cultural objectives, with participants sharing experiences
from a number of countries, including Honduras, India, Kenya, Mongolia,
the Philippines and Senegal. Following the presentations, this Group
continued discussions on mobilizing community ecoagriculture.

FIELD TRIPS

On Wednesday, 29 September, participants went on
field trips to 11 ecoagriculture sites in Kenya. The objectives of the
field trips were for participants to determine what elements of the
projects or sites could be scaled-up and how the success stories could
be made to work at the landscape level for improved livelihoods and
conservation practice. The sites visited included: bamboo cultivation in
Thika; organic agriculture around Nairobi; using insects to improve
human livelihoods in eastern Kenya; conservation and pastoralism in
Kajiado; enhancing agricultural productivity on the forest margins of
Kakamega; watershed restoration in Katut Kodyo, Lake Victoria;
commercial tea plantations in highland watersheds, Kericho, Western
Kenya; community-driven conservation for endemic bird conservation and
improved livelihoods in the Kinangop Plateau and the Aberdare Forest;
the restoration of disused quarries into thriving habitats in Bamburi;
organic coffee and macadamia nut in Thika; and reducing the
human-wildlife conflict and improving agriculture at Mount Kenya.

CONFERENCE OUTCOMES

THEME CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR
ACTION: The recommendations from the four
Theme Groups were presented to participants on Friday morning, 1
October, during a plenary session moderated by Jeffery McNeely.

Theme Group 1: Understanding Ecoagriculture: The recommendations from this Theme Group
highlighted that knowledge is the basis for more equitable decision
making and negotiation at all levels, and that an improved knowledge
base that integrates the different aspects of ecoagriculture is
required.

On agro and wild biodiversity, the Group recommended
establishing a research initiative on the links and trade-offs between
wild biodiversity and agricultural production and/or livelihoods. The
Group identified the purpose of such an initiative as providing
information to managers and resource users to assist in reducing
negative and enhancing positive interactions between wild biodiversity,
agricultural production systems, and agrobiodiversity. The specific
goals for this recommendation include: obtaining information on the
benefits of wild biodiversity for agricultural production and the
trade-offs with other goals of ecoagriculture; identifying the benefits
of agricultural systems and agrobiodiversity for wild biodiversity; and
analyzing the trade-offs for policy makers, managers, and resource
users. The Group also recommended undertaking an analysis of case
studies on ecoagriculture, with the purpose of making a scientifically
credible case for the benefits of ecoagriculture. The specific goals for
this recommendation include: developing a consistent set of protocols
for the assessment of ecoagriculture outcomes; identifying the key
drivers of success; and communicating the outcomes of case studies and
analyses to stakeholders.

On ecosystem functions, the Group recommended
designing and implementing a participatory and adaptive programme for
stakeholders to achieve the sustainable provision of agricultural and
ecological services. The specific goals for this recommendation include:
recognizing intact (non-degraded) soil as an ecological service and
identifying ways in which such services can be used in the restoration
of landscape integrity; ensuring that the landscape paradigm of
ecoagriculture includes aquatic and terrestrial systems and the flow of
ecological services; and identifying ecological services that rapidly
benefit farmers by negotiating alternatives and trade-offs in the
long-term.

On social issues, the Group recommended urging
stakeholders at all levels to support, adopt and advance ecoagriculture
using holistic decision-making frameworks. The Group identified the
purpose of this recommendation as facilitating stakeholders to fully
take into account the diversity of drivers of natural resource
degradation and the multiplicity of dimensions involved in poverty
alleviation and biodiversity conservation. The specific goals for this
recommendation include: developing and testing interdisciplinary
ecoagriculture curricula and programmes that incorporate social,
economic, biophysical and conservation ecology sciences; creating a fund
for partnerships to develop ecoagriculture concepts and methodologies;
and understanding local knowledge systems, institutional dynamics, and
negotiation processes as a basis for improved ecoagriculture at the
landscape level.

Theme Group 2: Managing Ecoagriculture: The recommendations from this Theme Group focused on:
managing trade-offs between ecology, livelihood and productivity;
empowering local stakeholders to arrive at negotiated agreements;
measuring trade-offs and outcomes from the perspective of different
stakeholders; and identifying incentives needed for local stakeholders
to scale-up ecoagriculture.

On managing ecoagriculture at a landscape scale, the
Group recommended creating a web-based platform for practitioners on
current ecoagriculture practices, projects and research. The overall
purpose of this recommendation is to develop a communication platform
that is accessible to ecoagriculture stakeholder groups, local
communities, farmers and policy makers. The specific goals for this
recommendation include making the platform interactive and user-friendly
in order for practitioners to exchange knowledge and experiences on
ecoagriculture, and allowing for dissemination of information to
end-users.

On policy and institutional issues, the Group
recommended documenting and identifying enabling and constraining policy
and institutional environments for ecoagriculture.

On measures of success, the Group recommended
defining specific, measurable outcomes that the ecoagriculture movement
is trying to achieve.

On current ecoagricultural measures and tools, the
Group recommended developing an inventory with the purpose of evaluating
what measures, tools and methods (ecological, agricultural and
socio-economic) already exist, in order to focus future research
efforts.

On the integration of measures and approaches, the
Group recommended defining measuring methodologies between different
scales (both spatial and temporal), actors (communities, scientists and
governments), and disciplines (socio-economic, ecological and
agricultural).

Theme Group 3: Valuing Ecoagriculture: The recommendations from this Theme Group highlighted
the need to: clarify the values of ecoagriculture; link local and global
beneficiaries; create financial and non-financial incentives at all
levels; and build on local and indigenous knowledge.

On assessing and monitoring the economic,
environmental and social performance of ecoagriculture, the Group
recommended carrying out a stakeholder analysis. The Group also
recommended developing a set of indicators that would include the
environmental, economic, social and spiritual aspects of ecoagriculture.

On product and market incentives for ecoagriculture,
the Group recommended facilitating the engagement of all stakeholders
involved in food production to achieve transparent, market-driven
incentives, consistent with the principles of ecoagriculture. The
specific goals of this recommendation include: adopting and sustaining
ecoagriculture practices; operating a transparent purchasing system that
transfers the benefits of the incentive system to producers;
implementing systems of buying preference, store placement, policy and
consumer information and awareness building in support of ecoagriculture
products; setting purchasing policies in support of ecoagriculture; and
changing consumer behavior to purchase ecoagriculture products. The
Group also recommended strengthening local organizations to provide
support services to producers. The Group identified the purpose of this
recommendation as creating incentives for ecoagriculture to become
operational at the producer level. The specific goals for this
recommendation include: strengthening and supporting producer
organizations; and creating new producer organizations where none exist.

On incentives for ecosystem services, the Group
recommended piloting, promoting and enhancing incentives for ecosystem
services in agricultural landscapes. The Group identified the purpose of
this recommendation as demonstrating the feasibility of incentives for
ecosystem services.

Theme Group 4: Mobilizing Community Ecoagriculture:
This Theme Groups’ recommendations were
based on the outcomes of the Community Shamba preparatory meeting. On
the key values of ecoagriculture, Community Shamba participants
committed to:

appreciating and integrating
local and indigenous knowledge systems and technical skills, and
protecting them from being appropriated by external forces;

protecting knowledge and
resources through community intellectual property rights;

recovering and conserving
biodiversity, including diversity of crops;

promoting natural species and
local varieties;

maximizing the use of local
skills, technologies and resources;

contributing to family food
security and seed diversity, livelihood security and sovereignty;

strengthening the social and
cultural fabric and integrity of local and indigenous communities;
and

promoting multistakeholder
participation and the formation of strategic alliances.

On ecoagriculture policy, the Community Shamba
recommended building peoples’ capacity to engage in holistic policy
development through education, training, networking, public awareness
and negotiation at various levels; and creating mechanisms, frameworks
and platforms to institutionalize ecoagriculture policy and programme
development with the participation of all stakeholders. These
recommendations aim to build capacity and institutionalize the
mechanisms that effectively engage the community in policy development.
The specific goals of these recommendations include: developing stronger
linkages through existing mechanisms at various levels; identifying
timelines and targets for planning and giving communities time and space
for mobilization; and promoting participation of local and indigenous
communities in policy formulation, development and implementation.

On capacity building, the Community Shamba
recommended identifying, documenting and disseminating locally adaptive
technologies, harmonizing modern and indigenous knowledge to improve
livelihoods and conserve the environment and ecosystems; enhancing local
communities’ knowledge, skills and awareness through effective learning
processes such as community-to-community learning, field training and
exchange visits; and providing resources to scale-up good practices on
ecoagriculture. Specific actions identified by the Community Shamba
include: documenting technologies in the form of stories, books and
songs; involving the community in research using participatory
methodologies; developing and strengthening existing community-based
information centers; exchanging information among communities and local
and international institutions; and enhancing the capacity of
communities to seek external support.

THE NAIROBI DECLARATION ON ECOAGRICULTURE: The first draft of the Nairobi Declaration on
Ecoagriculture was presented to Conference participants during the
opening plenary on Monday, 27 September. Based on comments provided by
participants, a second draft was circulated for further suggestions on
Thursday, 30 September. The final version of the Declaration was adopted
by acclamation in plenary on Friday, 1 October.

The Nairobi Declaration on Ecoagriculture
underscores the need for an ecoagriculture framework that seeks to
simultaneously achieve improved livelihoods, conservation of
biodiversity and sustainable production at a landscape scale. In the
Declaration, participants commit to ensure that large-scale development
of ecoagriculture contributes to achieving the MDGs. Participants also
declared that ecoagriculture embraces diverse systems and practices
linking production and biodiversity across landscapes, including those
that, inter alia:

reduce or reverse conversion of
wild lands to production agriculture, agroforestry, forestry or
aquaculture by sustainably increasing the productivity of land
already under use; and

place protected areas within the
process of landscape planning and implementation, enabling
livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and economic benefits to be
articulated and realized.

The Declaration recognizes that: grassroots
communities and farmers around the world have practiced ecoagriculture
for millennia; ecoagriculture is globally important wherever the demands
for food, ecosystem services and rural livelihoods converge; and
ecoagriculture is highly important in critical catchment areas such as
mountains and biologically degraded landscapes. The Declaration includes
several Conference recommendations, which call on policy makers at the
local, national, regional and global levels, including planners,
researchers and practitioners, to promote ecoagriculture by:

encouraging multistakeholder
participation and formation of strategic alliances for planning and
implementing ecoagriculture;

incorporating and enhancing the
wide range of grassroots and rural community innovations that
simultaneously enhance productivity, livelihoods and ecosystem
services;

recognizing the importance of
local and indigenous knowledge, their institutions and
decision-making processes, and the central role of rural land users
as environmental stewards;

integrating and scaling-up
farm-level and landscape-wide initiatives of sustainable land
management and biodiversity conservation;

advocating policies and actions
that support the integration of food production with biodiversity;

supporting and building capacity
of farming and pastoral communities to implement ecoagriculture,
including managing and protecting natural habitats on private and
communal lands;

implementing the Programmes of
Work on Agricultural Biodiversity, Ecosystem Approach, and Protected
Areas and the Global Strategy on Plant Conservation agreed by the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity; and further
integrating ecoagriculture into other major conventions including
those on desertification, climate change, wetlands and plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture;

articulating and enhancing the
value that protected area networks can provide in the maintenance of
ecosystem functions that sustain food production and rural
livelihoods;

building incentives for
ecoagriculture in commercial food and input markets, and markets for
other rural products and environmental services; and

investing in public and private
national and international research, development and capacity
building programmes pertinent to ecoagriculture.

In her closing presentation on Friday, 1 October,
Sara Scherr, highlighted the Conference’s accomplishments, noting that
participants shared knowledge, developed new initiatives and
partnerships for collaborative work, deepened their understanding of
ecoagriculture principles and strategies, provided the foundation of an
action plan for Ecoagriculture Partners, and adopted the Nairobi
Declaration on Ecoagriculture.

She noted that Ecoagriculture Partners is in the
process of formalizing its status as an independent NGO, and that in the
coming months a new board of directors will be elected. She said that
following the Conference, the main activity for Ecoagriculture Partners
will be the development of a strategic action plan, based on the Theme
Groups’ recommendations. She highlighted ecoagriculture-related events
at the third IUCN World Conservation Congress in November 2004,
including a draft Congress resolution on ecoagriculture. She thanked the
coordinating and sponsoring organizations, secretariat staff,
facilitators, report writers and translators, and closed the Conference
at 4:31pm.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

THE 2004 WORLD FOOD PRIZE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM:
This symposium will convene from 14-15 October 2004, in Des Moines,
Iowa, USA. The symposium coincides with the UN World Food Day and the
International Year of Rice. For more information, contact: The World
Food Prize Foundation; tel: +1-515-245-3783; fax: +1-515-245-3785;
e-mail: wfp@worldfoodprize.org;
Internet: http://www.worldfoodprize.org/Symposium/

TERRA MADRE WORLD MEETING OF FOOD COMMUNITIES:
This conference is being organized by the International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements. It will convene from 20-23 October 2004,
in Turin, Italy. The meeting aims to promote food security in ways that
respect the environment, defend human dignity and protect the health of
consumers. For more information, contact: Terra Madre - Slow Food; tel:
+39-0172-472-911; fax: +39-0172-472-912; e-mail: terramadre@slowfood.it;
Internet:
http://www.terramadre2004.org

CGIAR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2004: The
annual general meeting of the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) will take place from 25-29 October 2004,
in Mexico City, Mexico. For more information, contact: CGIAR
Secretariat; tel: +1-202-473-8951; fax: +1-202-473-8110; e-mail:
cgiar@cgiar.org; Internet:
http://www.cgiar.org/meetings/index.html

10TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC
RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE: This
meeting is being organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
and will take place from 8-12 November 2004, in Rome, Italy. For more
information, contact: Alvaro Toledo; tel: +39-6-5705-2753; fax:
+39-6-5705-6347; e-mail:
Alvaro.Toledo@fao.org; Internet:
http://www.fao.org/ag/cgrfa/

SECOND MEETING OF THE COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES
FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ACTING AS THE INTERIM COMMITTEE FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE: This meeting is being
organized by FAO and will take place from 15-19 November 2004, in Rome,
Italy. For more information, contact: Alvaro Toledo; tel:
+39-6-5705-2753; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail:
Alvaro.Toledo@fao.org;
Internet:
http://www.fao.org/ag/cgrfa/

COMMUNITY MOUBAN: The
Equator Initiative will host the Community Mouban - a dialogue space to
recognize communities as a vital driving force of sustainable
development - at the third IUCN World Conservation Congress, from 17-25
November 2004, in Bangkok, Thailand. For more information, contact:
Equator Initiative Secretariat; tel: +1-212-457-1709; fax:
+1-212-457-1370; e-mail:
EquatorInitiative@undp.org; Internet:
http://www.EquatorInitiative.org

THIRD IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: PEOPLE AND
NATURE, ONLY ONE WORLD: The third IUCN
World Conservation Congress will convene from 17-25 November 2004, in
Bangkok, Thailand. The Congress will consist of a three-day World
Conservation Forum and a four-day Members’ Business Assembly. During the
Forum, IUCN members, partners and interested stakeholders will debate
options that safeguard the ecosystems upon which future prosperity
depends. During the Assembly, IUCN members will approve the 2005-2008
IUCN Programme Framework and Financial Plan, elect officers, consider
resolutions and recommendations, and set the membership dues. For more
information, contact: Ursula Hiltbrunner, IUCN; tel: +41-22-999-0232;
fax: +41-22-999-0020; e-mail:
ursula.hiltbrunner@iucn.org;
Internet:
http://www.iucn.org/congress/index.cfm

EXPERT MEETING ON TRADITIONAL FOREST-RELATED
KNOWLEDGE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RELATED INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS:
This meeting is being organized by the International Alliance of
Indigenous Tribal Peoples of Tropical Forests and will convene from 6-10
December 2004, in San José, Costa Rica. For more information, contact:
Annabel Pinker; tel: +66-53-904-037; fax: +66-53-277-645; e-mail:
iait@loxinfo.co.th; Internet:
http://www.international-alliance.org

ITTC-37: The 37th
session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-37) will take
place from 13-18 December 2004, in Yokohama, Japan. For more
information, contact: ITTO Secretariat; tel: +81-45-223-1110; fax:
+81-45-223-1111; e-mail:
ittc@itto.or.jp; Internet:
http://www.itto.or.jp

COMMUNITY VILAJ: The
Equator Initiative and partners will present the Community Vilaj - a
dialogue space for local voices - at the 10-year Review of the Barbados
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States (BPoA+10) from 8ï¿½14 January 2005, in Port Louis,
Mauritius. For more information, contact: Equator Initiative
Secretariat; tel: +1-212-457-1709; fax: +1-212-457-1370; e-mail:
EquatorInitiative@undp.org;
Internet:
http://www.undp.org/equatorinitiative/secondary/announcements.htm

SECOND SESSION OF THE UN CONFERENCE FOR THE
NEGOTIATION OF A SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL
TIMBER AGREEMENT, 1994: The second
session of the UN Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor
Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 will be
held from 14-18 February 2005, in Geneva, Switzerland. For more
information, contact: Alexeï¿½ Mojarov, UNCTAD Secretariat; tel:
+41-22-917-5809; fax: +41-22-917-0051; e-mail:
alexei.mojarov@unctad.org;
Internet:
http://r0.unctad.org/commodities/

CRIC-3: The third
session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertificationï¿½s Committee for
the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC-3) is
tentatively scheduled to convene in April/May 2005, in Bonn, Germany.
For more information, contact: UNCCD Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-2802;
fax: +49-228-815-2898; e-mail:
secretariat@unccd.int; Internet:
http://www.unccd.int/main.php

UNFF-5: The fifth
session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF-5) is scheduled to convene from
16-27 May 2005, in New York. For more information, contact: Elisabeth
Barsk-Rundquist, UNFF Secretariat; tel: +1-212-963-3262; fax:
+1-917-367-3186; e-mail:
barsk-rundquist@un.org; Internet:
http://www.un.org/esa/forests

ITTC-38: The 38th
Session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-38) and
Associated Sessions of the Committees will convene in Brazzaville,
Republic of Congo from 21-23 June 2005. For more information, contact:
ITTO Secretariat; tel: +81-45-223-1110; fax: +81-45-223-1111; e-mail:
itto@itto.or.jp; Internet:
http://www.itto.or.jp/live/PageDisplayHandler?pageId=189

15TH IFOAM ORGANIC WORLD CONGRESS:
This conference is being organized by the International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the National Association for
Sustainable Agriculture Australia. It will take place from 19-23
September 2005, in Adelaide, Australia. For more information, contact:
Jan Denham, Conference Coordinator; tel: +61-8-8339-7800; fax
+61-8-8339-7800; e-mail:
ifoam2005@nasaa.com.au; Internet:
http://www.nasaa.com.au/ifoam/

SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CCD:
The seventh Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification will take place from 17-28 October 2005, in Bonn,
Germany. For more information, contact: UNCCD Secretariat; tel:
+49-228-815-2802; fax: +49-228-815-2898; e-mail:
secretariat@unccd.int;
Internet:
http://www.unccd.int/main.php

Sustainable Developments
is a publication of the
International Institute for
Sustainable Development
(IISD) <info@iisd.ca>,
publishers of the Earth
Negotiations Bulletin ï¿½.
This issue was written and
edited by Alice Bisiaux and
Richard Sherman. The editor
is Lynn Wagner, Ph.D.<lynn@iisd.org>.
The Director of IISD
Reporting Services
(including Sustainable
Developments) is Langston
James "Kimo" Goree VI <kimo@iisd.org>.
Funding for coverage of this
meeting has been provided by
Ecoagriculture Partners. The
authors can be contacted at
their electronic mail
addresses and at tel:
+1-212-644-0204. IISD can be
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Sustainable Developments
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